Shadow Hearts 100 Themes
by crazykitsune17
Summary: A collection of 100 drabbles based off the Writer's 100 Theme Challenge on dA. Includes drabbles from SH1, SH2, and SH3. Spoilers. Ficlets of all types included here. 6 of 100 complete.
1. I Introduction

A/N: This is a 100 Themes drabble collection, as drawn up by darknessversuslight on deviantart. This collection will involve drabbles from all three of the Shadow Hearts games and will undoubtedly contain spoilers. At the moment, I don't have any other warnings, so please enjoy, read and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shadow Hearts. I do not own Shadow Hearts 2: Covenant. I do not own Shadow Hearts 3: From the New World. Why does Shadow Hearts 3 have such a long name?

* * *

**Shadow Hearts 100 Themes**

by crazykitsune17

* * *

**I. Introduction**

Yuri Hyuga, a young man in his twenties, fell to his knees in the cold grass in a forest near Changchun. He was sweating, teeth clenched, his head in his hands, tremors of pain shooting up and down his body, radiating from his brain. "What… is… this…?" he groaned, digging his fingers deeper into his skull as the pain grew stronger.

As bright lights were popping before his eyes, Yuri Hyuga heard a voice.

It was filtered and sounded like it was coming from far away. The voice, however, was unmistakably female, and she spoke in fragments. Half of what she said was unable to register in Yuri's brain, but the brown-cloaked Harmonixer was able to pick up, "Hello, Yuri… Your journ.. .s just beginning…"

The voice was snuffed out with a hiss, and the pain cleared. Still sweating and feeling slightly nauseous, the frightened Yuri stood up again. Again, he asked no one in particular, "What is this?"

Running his fingers through his choppy auburn hair, Yuri gulped down a few calming breaths and tried to sort out the mystery of the spooky voice in his head. Where did it come from? Whose voice was it? What did she mean, "Your journey is just beginning?" What journey? How did she know who he was?

Groaning again, Yuri picked up his heavy feet and marched onward, searching for a village to spend the night. A wolf howled in the moonlight, and Yuri stared up at the stars.

"Whatever it means… it sure sounds exciting. A journey, huh? Well I'm ready. Just tell me where to go, mystery voice! And I'll begin my journey."

* * *

-crazykitsune17


	2. II Complicated

A/N: Major spoilers for the ending of Shadow Hearts 2: Covenant. This is really more of a full-fledged fanfic than a drabble, but it is going to be part of this collection anyway. Enjoy!

* * *

**II. Complicated**

* * *

Anne Hyuga was having tea with the neighbor lady as was her usual event on cool spring mornings. Yuri, Anne's nine-year-old son, was outside playing with the neighborhood children in their small village in mid-eastern China, and would never dare to bother his mother when she was involved in "girl talk".

"Ew, all you guys talk about is boring stuff, anyway," argued Yuri when Anne had told him to go play outside once Mrs. Liu (their charming, elegant, and young next door neighbor) had quietly entered their home for tea. "Like… taxes and new recipes and stuff. Don't worry, I'm outta here!"

And Yuri had run off outside, the fox mask that his father had bought him hanging behind his head so that he looked like a two-faced demon. Anne smiled wearily; she was glad Yuri was out of the way, because she had a secret that she never wanted him to hear.

That secret had nothing to do with money or taxes or recipes of any sort, nor did it have to do with the turbulent state of affairs in which Yuri's father, Colonel Ben Hyuga, was involved with in Shanghai. The secret was much more personal than that and involved a sequence of events and memories of which Anne had never spoken to anyone – not even her husband, whom she loved dearly.

Mrs. Liu was the quiet sort of person, one who would never tell such a precious secret. Anne Hyuga and Mrs. Liu had been friends for three years now, ever since the younger woman had moved to the village with her own son. While Ben was away on business (which was often, Mrs. Hyuga lamented), Mrs. Liu often stopped over to cheer her up and offer her company, which Anne gratefully accepted. The two had spent hours upon hours discussing politics and parenting, fears for the future, grief of the past…

And now it was time to finally test such a friendship with the kind of secret one only releases to someone very special. Anne took Mrs. Liu by the hand as she walked in and caressed it gently, smiling shyly with a grim sort of undertone. Mrs. Liu sensed the gravity of what her neighbor was about to tell her and set about the stove, fixing the tea herself while Anne sat down.

"Mei… I… thank you for coming over," Anne started.

"It is no problem at all, Anne," said Mei quietly, waiting for the water to boil. "I am always here for you."

"Thank you. Mei, you know my son Yuri, right?"

"Of course. He is a sweet boy."

"Yes, he is. He grew up to be a sweet man, too."

"I'm sorry?"

Anne sighed. "I know you won't believe this when I tell you, but please try to understand. I guess I'll start from the beginning… My real name… my real name isn't Anne."

"And you are not Russian, are you?"

"No."

"I see," said Mei. "My husband visited Siberia once, and the Russian women there do not look like you, so he has told me."

"I'm German. And my name is Karin."

Mei smiled and set the fixed tea in front of Karin Hyuga. "That's a lovely name. I don't see why you changed it."

"I had to… for reasons that are… very complicated."

"Tell me the story."

Karin took a deep breath and cupped her hands around the warm teacup. "I used to be a lieutenant in the German army, and I fought in a war that involved all of Europe."

"Good heavens, a world war?"

"Yes." Karin nodded. "It is in our future, Mei, a great world war, but that is only the beginning of my story."

"Please, go on."

"While I was an officer, my troops and I went to a small rebel village called Domremy. There we met a fearsome demon. That demon was my son.

"I did not know that at the time, of course, and the demon and I did not meet again until some time later. Unfortunately, when we met again, it was to put a foul curse on him – one that would eventually end up taking his life. Sometimes, I look at little Yuri, and my heart aches, knowing that it is I who will not be able to prevent his unfortunate passing…"

"Karin, I—"

Karin held up a hand. "Please, let me finish. Yuri and I traveled together after that, to try to find a way to stop the curse from taking over his soul, and we met a lot of interesting people along the way. One was a vampire, another, a fortune teller, and we even met with the princess of Russia! It was actually that princess who gave me the idea for my new name and heritage.

"At the end of our long journey, we could not find a way to reverse the curse, and Yuri lost his life in order to save us and himself from a life without meaning. He… He also died in order to secure an everlasting life with his former girlfriend, a beautiful young woman who died before I met him.

"I… I loved Yuri… I still do, but I have chosen to love him in a different way now. I… I confessed to Yuri – back when we were traveling together – that I had feelings for him, feelings that I knew he could not reciprocate because of Alice. Alice was his girlfriend before she… before she died.

"When our journey came to an end, and Yuri and I were the only ones left on the Stone Platform that was the site for our epic battle against a rogue and lonely Japanese military man, he told us all to pray for the life we wanted. I wanted so badly to be with Yuri, for him to love me as I loved him, but I knew that wouldn't be fair to Yuri, and that it would be terribly selfish of me. Instead, I wished to be with Yuri in a different way, and when I departed the Stone Platform, I awoke in Katsuragi – Yuri's birthplace in Japan. It was then that I met my husband, the colonel…"

"I see where this is going," said Mei, nodding her head in understanding. "You met Ben, and you fell in love, and you conceived little Yuri. So you could still be with him, even if it wasn't in the way you had hoped."

"Yes, that's right," said Karin. "Yuri talked about his mother often and he had only wonderful things to say about her. So I'm glad that I could make an impact on his life in that way…"

"That is quite the story, Karin," Mei finished.

"I know," said Mrs. Hyuga, bowing her head down. "I have never told anyone this story before, Mei…"

"Do not worry. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you. And thank you for taking the time to listen to this long and complicated story."

"It is fine." Mrs. Liu refilled both hers and Karin's teacups. "Although there is much that I do not understand, I trust you, and I promise that I will never tell a soul as long as I live." She took a drink.

Yuri Hyuga burst through the door, soaking wet, his eyebrows curled into a comically angry expression. "It started to rain!" he shouted, shaking his head so that water splashed all over the walls and furniture. "So now I have to sit inside and listen to you guys talk about boring stuff."

Karin smiled. "Tell you what, Yuri," she said, getting up to dry off her son's wet hair with her apron. "We'll talk about something you want to talk about. Something… not so complicated and boring as politics or recipes… Whatever you want…"

* * *

-crazykitsune17


	3. III Making History

A/N: I'm back! I was working on a different fanfic, plus I am busy with school and work and other such nonsense so I apologize if I don't update often. Right now, I am watching Inuyasha and I am in awe that I used to like this show. It's so bad. That is all. Shadow Hearts 3 drabble.

A/N2: This fic works much better if you read it out loud with your best Roger Bacon impersonation. And I mean the Bacon that was in Covenant, not the stupid one from FTNW.

* * *

**III. Making History**

* * *

"_By the power of the mighty Archangel Cherubim, bring the lost souls of these two back from the void!!"_

I watched in awe and horror as Graham Garland and his partner Marlow attempted to do what dozens of others had tried and failed. The ceremony for bringing the dead back to life as described in the ancient relic, the Émigré Manuscript…

As a fellow disciple of science, I wanted to watch this process, but as a man, it went against all that was right in the world. Bringing the dead back to life – an act that had once seemed impossible – now appeared to be a complete success. The scientist in me was fascinated – so much so that I did _nothing_ to stop this evil display of men _trying to play God_.

And just as it seemed that Graham and Marlow were about to make history with the first successful Émigré resurrection, _it all started to go wrong_…

The red light overcame the blue light in the holding tank with the deceased body of Graham's daughter. Grace, Graham Garland's first born was now consumed by _malice_, the red light!

Horrified, I backed away, silently chastising myself for not stopping the ceremony when I had the chance. Meanwhile, Graham and Marlow, who knew _nothing_ of the red light's _true power_, stood by and watched.

Grace broke free of her confinement and _slayed_ her own father with her bare hands. Oh, it was terrible! Never before had I seen such _power_… She was no longer Graham's only daughter… she was a _creature_ of _malice_…

And I knew it would only be a matter of time before _more_ history was made… This time… for the worse….

-crazykitsune17


	4. IV Rivalry

A/N: It's been a while, SH fandom. Here's chapter 4! SHII:C fic.

* * *

**IV. Rivalry**

* * *

He's so simple… and yet… he's anything but. There's just no one quite like him… And no one will ever be able to capture my heart like he has.

We're the picture-perfect couple. A dark hero and loyal heroine, fighting side by side to protect our world and everyone in it. Partners in battle. A camaraderie like no other. Everybody else can see it, and ordinary strangers that we meet on our travels always comment, "Yuri, such a lovely wife you have!" "Karin, you're so lucky. You have no idea how hard it is to find a quality man in Nihonbashi." And that's when I smile sadly and Yuri blushes as we both stammer out, "We're not married." And the strangers cluck incredulously. "I don't believe it!"

Now this is all very touching, and while everyone around us can see it, Yuri remains as blind as ever. I'm nobody to him. A good travel companion and a skilled swordfighter, maybe, but nothing more. His mind is preoccupied with someone else.

Alice. It surprises me how easy it is to whisper her name without my throat closing up and my stomach clenching like a fist. Alice Elliot. Alice Elliot. She has… long since passed now, but she was Yuri's former traveling companion and… his lover.

She died to save him! She was so brave, giving her own life – without a moment's hesitation! A truly courageous woman. How could I possible compete with a person so pure and perfect? So beautiful…

Yuri hasn't told me much about Alice. In fact, he rarely speaks about her at all. But we all know that everything he does – every step he takes, ever monster he slays, every life he saves – he does for Alice. I asked him once if he loved her. It was a foolish question, because I already knew the answer. I could see it in his eyes every time he looked up toward the heavens. It was as if I could see her reflection in his pupils, though I only had a vague idea of what she looked like.

I always knew my love for Yuri was hopeless, just a childish girl's dream. But I still hope. I still dream.

Alice Elliot is always at the back of my mind, however, stuffed in a treasure box, growling, waiting for me to venture into dark thoughts and consume me.

It's unfair, I know, to compare myself with t he woman he once – no, _still_ loved. There is no comparison. There is no competition. There is no rivalry.

The only thing I can do is just try my best to care for Yuri – no bouts of jealousy, no accusations, no complaints. Only love. Love unconditionally. And maybe have the opportunity to lay down my life for him someday – like Alice did.

* * *

- crazykitsune17


	5. V Unbreakable

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Can you believe this chapter took me like four months to write? But school is winding down now and maybe I'll finish this set of 100 by next year. Enjoy! This one takes place during SH2: Covenant.

* * *

**V.) Unbreakable**

by crazykitsune17

* * *

_I've gotta find it!_ The girl with the resolute smile thought to herself. _I have to find out what makes him happy!_

A gigantic puzzle board lay ahead of her, blocking the way to a giant stone door. The pieces lay scattered beneath – all blank and nondescript. The little girl looked down at the mess at her feet. She knew what she had to do.

"I won't give up, Yuri!" said the girl aloud to no one. The barren graveyard surrounding her stood silent as ever, giving no response but an eerie, windless howl. The only figure possibly listening to the girl's quiet vows was a lifeless male bust emerging from a nearby tree. Like a sleeping infant, the man's eyes were closed and his well-toned chest heaved up and down in languorous rhythm. But he said nothing.

The girl sighed as she picked up a piece of the puzzle. "If I can just finish the puzzle, maybe I'll find the answer…"

* * *

Yuri Hyuga felt a strange pain in his chest. Without noticing, his white-knuckled hand clutched forcefully at the front of his coat.

"Yuri, is something wrong?" A red-haired companion eyed Yuri's chest worriedly.

"Uh, no, Karin." Yuri let his hand drop and he continued to bring up the rear of the traveling group in silence.

_It must be Jeanne, fiddling around in my soul again,_ thought Yuri. _She tries so hard… looking for… whatever it is that she's looking for._ He sighed. _But I don't think she's gonna find it…_

* * *

"Ah?!" Jeanne, the girl in the graveyard, yelped as several puzzle pieces came tumbling down from the jigsaw board in front of her. "They fell down…?" Jeanne blinked a couple times in surprise. "Oh no!" she then cried as she realized the unfortunate turn of events.

Quickly, she scrambled to put the fallen pieces back into the puzzle. A few of the lost pieces, however, remained buried and lost forever in the jumbled pile of exactly-alike pieces.

"Darn it!" Jeanne cursed. She plopped down into the pile. Picking up a piece in her tiny hands, she examined its edges and sighed. With a mournful sigh she whispered, "Don't worry, Yuri. I'll finish this. No matter what…"

* * *

"Have you decided yet, Yuri?" The scratchy voice of a centuries-old warlock, Roger Bacon, fell upon Yuri's ears like a death knell. The Harmonixer winced and he turned around.

"Do you wish to bring Alice back to life?" Roger finished his question.

The sun was in his eyes, so Yuri squinted as he stared pensively back at Roger. He was silent for a moment. Deep down in his heart, he knew the answer, but several other thoughts and voices offered up their dissenting opinions.

"_This is wrong_!" the voice of a Yuri much younger said. "_You can't bring the dead back to life! Think of Patrick! Think of Jack from the London Orphanage! They tried the ultimate black magic and all they brought back was a monster!_"

"_But then…_" the voice of Special Agent Kato rumbled through his head. "_What about me? My Ouka, the perfect embodiment of my dearest Yoko Kawashima. You _can_ bring the dead back to life! You _can_!"_

"_Yuri… don't…_"

Yuri fiercely shut his eyes tight. _No. Not Karin. I don't think I could bear to hear her voice right now_.

"Yeah," said Yuri. "I wanna do it."

* * *

"What is going on?!" Jeanne could do nothing but watch in shock as the puzzle pieces changed before her eyes. Color flooded into the pieces like watercolor paints, and pictures formed from the smattering of pieces already connected on the puzzle board. Jeanne could make out vague half-images of people. A gorgeous young woman with hair so light-colored it was almost white and tied together with a big beautiful bow… The red-haired German officer who had visited some months before… a tall man in a Japanese military uniform with a heavily-lined face and a firm jaw… the woman with the bow again…

"Who…?" Jeanne whispered, but before she could finish her thought, the puzzle pieces went back to white. Fortunately, none of them had fallen down. Jeanne picked up an edge piece and laid it beside the right border of the puzzle. "Was she… his happiness?"

* * *

The cylindrical cauldron bubbled with dark, frothy magic, and the shape of a woman began to take form. Roger and Yuri watched with awe as the clandestine Émigré magic succeeded in creating a human vessel.

"Alice?" Yuri's voice cracked and faded to a whisper.

The female figure in the cauldron sprouted long, silver-blonde hair and opened its soft blue eyes. For a moment, the lips moved without sound, but after a moment of silent struggle, the figure finally spoke.

"Yuri… I… love… you."

* * *

The puzzle board rattled and shook, and in a single last shudder, the pieces fell to the floor and shattered.

The pieces were made of wood, and sharp splinters jutted out from the mangled, broken pieces. Jeanne cried out in shock.

"Oh no! Yuri!" Jeanne knelt down and picked up a fragment of the fractured puzzle. It crumbled to dust in her hand. She choked back a sob. "Yuri… Will you ever find your happiness?"

* * *

- crazykitsune17


	6. VI Eternity

A/N: ... Not dead, I swear. "Eternity" is actually theme #7, but theme #6 is on paper in my dorm room 100 miles away, soooo... here is 7 in place of 6. Contains semi spoilers from Koudelka and I guess Covenant as well. Merry Christmas!

* * *

**6. Eternity**

It was no coincidence that she woke me when she did. That Koudelka Iasant… and her two companions, that Edward character and James fellow. I had been asleep for nearly one hundred years. No reason I couldn't sleep any longer in that monastery. No reason I should have woken up much earlier. No, no, there was a reason the psychic roused me from my century-long slumber. I just didn't realize that it would turn out to be something so great…

Initially, it was so that Koudelka could exorcise an evil spirit and set free the soul of a woman named Elaine. Now the whole time that I was locked up in that monastery, I had never heard of a woman called Elaine, though I suppose she could be considered "before my time". Or rather, "after my time", perhaps? And the fellow she was with, James O'Flaherty, he had fancied this Elaine. And there was a whole mess of complications which eventually brought forth the death of Elaine's spirit which was haunting the mansion, as well as the death of James.

The mansion has long since been destroyed, but naturally, the memories from darker times still linger. You can still smell the blood and decayed, rotting corpses of the prisoners who used to call that place "home". The air still sends shivers up one's spine from the pure, roiling hatred of those poor, lost souls. And you can still feel the presence of the great monster-god, Amon, whom an acquaintance of mine once fought and conquered.

Ah, Yuri. The acquaintance I was talking about. He has been lost to the stars now, God rest his weary soul, but every day I can feel his presence. Not many people have affected me the way he has, and I have been alive for seven hundred years! Yuri Hyuga and Koudelka Iasant – two remarkable people who have changed my existence forever. And they have changed the existence of the entire world as we know it, or rather, preserved its precarious balance.

And though neither of them is with us now, they will live on for eternity. Even though the history books may never mention their name as the ones who saved the earth from destruction… as long as I live, I will remember their name.

* * *

"Hey, look at this…" A boy brushed off the dirt from a well-kept leather-bound book.

"Hmm?" She squatted down beside him. "It's a book. How lame. All that digging for nothing…"

"Let's read it! '_March fourth, 1982. Lit a candle for Yuri today. God rest his soul. Roger Bacon._' Who the hell is Yuri? Or Roger Bacon?"

"Who cares. There's nothing here, Sam. Let's go."

"… Yeah."

Sam tucked the diary into his backpack.

* * *

- crazykitsune17


End file.
